ShowMe Times Editor
Every spring when she was a young girl, she would anxiously await the arrival of the camp brochure, and would be one of the first to register for her summer trip to Girl Scout camp.
Once summer arrived, it was time for camp – for her friends, cooking over an open fire, singing favorite songs around a campfire, giggling over crazy skits, and swimming, hiking and all the things that define “summer camp.”
Now, as an adult and with years of camp, Girl Scouting, leadership and teaching experience, Karen Lane of Dexter is looking forward to that summer camp experience once again.
But this time when she goes through those gates at camp, she will be returning as the camp director – in charge of the summer camp experience for girls at Latonka and Cherokee Ridge camps in Southeast Missouri.
“I’m excited,” Lane said during a recent conversation. Right now the job is mainly administrative – finding and hiring staff, developing plans and preparation for the summer. But in a flash of the eye, it will be time for staff to arrive, plans to become action, and the campers and fun to arrive at campsite.
Lane will be directing two camps for the Girl Scouts of Missouri Heartland. Both facilities are in Southeast Missouri, and have strong heritages in the region. Camp Latonka – where Lane attended as a girl and worked as a staff member – is on Lake Wappapello, and Cherokee Ridge is near Sam A. Baker State Park in Patterson.
The summer will begin June 17 at Cherokee Ridge, with a group of units for girls wanting to enjoy horseback riding, as well as other traditional camp programs.
Then beginning in July, programs will shift to Latonka, with some traditional summer camp experiences with exciting new twists. The Latonka part of the summer will include units that will sample geo-caching, and older girls at Latonka will have the opportunity to take advantage of the camp’s ropes and challenge courses, as well canoeing and water fun and traditional camp activities.
Lane, who has taught at Richland school for more than 20 years, is obviously no stranger to Girl Scout summer camp. She attended camp for nine years as a girl, graduated from Latonka’s Counselor-in-Training course, and served as a unit staff member, sports consultant, and waterfront director at the camp.
“Since it’s the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouting, I would really like to go back to old camp skills,” she said. Tying knots, pitching tents, building fires, lashing – all are skills that Lane says she would like for campers to learn and have fun mastering this summer. “Just some old-fashioned camping skills. Fun stuff!”
Financial Help To Attend
Lane says one concern heading into the summer is that with the economy is its current site, families will feel summer camp is out of the picture this summer.
However, she said there are programs in place by the Girl Scout council and others to help families with girls who want that summer camp experience.
“When I have talked with leaders and parents I have stressed that there are ‘camperships’ available,’ she said. Camperships are scholarships from Girl Scouts of Missouri Heartland to assist with camp fees.
“The endowment that the late Doris Brown left is specifically for girls who want to attend Latonka,” she added. The late Doris (Beaver) Brown was director at Latonka for more than 30 years, and passed away in November 2009. Her estate established a fund specifically to provide financial assistance for girls to attend Camp Latonka.
Lane said that an application for campership assistance is available in the summer camp brochure from the Girl Scout council.
“The money is there (in the fund) and this is what it is there for – so that every girl who wanted to go to camp had the opportunity to go to camp,” she said.
Girls do not need to be registered Girl Scouts to take advantage of the summer opportunities available and to attend camp, she added.
Jobs Available
Lane said she is still putting together her summer staff team, and she is looking for horse wranglers and a health supervisor.
A health supervisor can be an EMT, RN, or a first responder.
Interested persons should contact Girl Scouts of Missouri Heartland at 1-877-312-4764 or go online to the council’s website.
Links of Interest
By Annabeth Miller,
ShowMe Times Editor
A special day is planned at one of Southeast Missouri’s favorite natural gems – a day that will widen horizons and show the beauty of the park and special wildlife.
Discover the world of birds will be featured at the Birds over Baker event Saturday, April 28 at Sam A. Baker State Park near Patterson. Sponsored by Missouri State Parks, the event will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is free and open to the public.
This birding festival will feature demonstrations and activities for the whole family. Throughout the day, there will be activities and crafts, guided bird hikes and information on topics such as migration and hunting game birds.
The World Bird Sanctuary in St. Louis will present a Raptor Awareness program at 2 p.m. in the park’s amphitheater. The presentation will include information about birds of prey and will include a live bird presentation featuring Missouri raptors such as hawks, owls and falcons. Visitors will get a close-up look at the raptors as they soar right overhead during this interactive show.
Food and bird merchandise will be available for purchase throughout the day.
Sam A. Baker State Park is located on Highway 143 about four miles north of Patterson. For more information, contact the park naturalist at 573-856-4514. For more information about Missouri state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
Link of Interest
ShowMe Times Editor
88 keys.
12 hands.
6 students.
4 high schools.
1 teacher.
They are six piano students, and all have reached the highest of heights for high school students in the ShowMe State – they will each compete at the Missouri State Music Contest later this month.
And while they are different ages, different high schools, and will perform different musical selections for the judge at contest, they all have the at least one thing in common.
Coulton, Joe, Leah, Malinda, Brooks, and Lauren. These six young musicians are the senior private piano students of Dexter music educator MaryRuth Boone. And each received a top I rating at District Music Contest recently and all moving up the ladder to compete in statewide competition.
“These young people are fine musicians who take their music very seriously and practice piano in the same manner,” Boone said. “I am proud to be their teacher!”
There’s a camaraderie among them when they gathered recently at Boone’s home. They banter back and forth, and are all good friends in addition to being fine musicians. They may come from different communities and different high schools, but they all share a love of music - and the discipline, talent, and dedication necessary to reach this premiere level.
Coulton Becker of Williamsville comes from a very musically talented family. He is the son of Pam and Bob Becker of Willimsville. Pam is the director of music at Polar Bluff’s United Methodist Church and she teaches music at Three Rivers College. Coulton is a freshman at Williamsville and has taken piano lessons for ten years. He also received a I rating at District Contest on his vocal solo. At State Contest he will perform Rustles of Springby Christian Striding.
Joe Foster of Essex is a freshman at Richland High School. Joe has taken lessons for eight years and is the son of Donnie and Tish Foster of Essex. At district contest, Joe also received a I rating on his vocal solo. He will perform Melodious Study by Steven Heller for the judge at State Music Contest.
Leah Noyes is a senior at Dexter High School and is the daughter of David and Vicky Noyes of Dexter. Leah has taken piano lessons for nine years. At District Contest, Leah and her Clarinet Sextet received a I Rating. Leah will perform #2 of 4 Impromptus, Op. 90 by Franz Schubert at State Contest.
Malinda Mayo is also a senior at Dexter High School. She taken piano lessons for 13 years and is the daughter of Roger and Malisa Mayo of Dexter. At District Contest Malinda received I ratings on her vocal solo, mixed ensemble and mixed madrigal. She will perform the First Movement of Sonata #283 by Mozart for the judge at State Music Contest.
Brooks Probst is a freshman at Dexter High School and has taken piano lessons for 10 years. Brooks is the son of Molly and Darin Probst of Dexter. At District Contest Brooks also received a I rating on his vocal solo and with his trombone quartet. Brooks will perform the2nd Impromptus, No. 142, by Franz Schubert at State Music Contest.
Lauren White is a junior at Poplar Bluff High School and she, too, comes from a musical family. Her mother and father, Cindy and Buddy White, both teach music at Three Rivers College and Boone is her aunt. Lauren has taken piano lessons for 11 years, and at District Contest she received top I ratings in her vocal solo, mixed double quartet, English horn solo, and her oboe solo. Lauren will perform Movement 1, Prelude from Por Le Piano by Debussy at State Music Contest.
The Missouri State Music Contest will be held April 26-28 on the campus of the University of Missouri in Columbia.
Photo Above: The senior piano students of MaryRuth Boone all have earned the opportunity to compete in the Missouri State Music Contest this month. Performing will be (seat in front) Malinda Mayo and Leah Noyes, both from Dexter; and (left to right behind the piano) Coulton Becker of Williamsville, Brooks Probst of Dexter, Lauren White of Poplar Bluff, and Joe Foster of Essex. (ShowMe Times photo by Annabeth Miller)
Dreams came true in Shreveport on Saturday, March 31st when two Dexter young women were crowned Princess America Pageants’ Missouri Teen and Missouri Junior Teen 2012. The Huntington Auditorium in Shreveport, La., played host to the weekend long, multi-state event. Contestants from Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama and Missouri came together to compete for their respective State Titles and a bid to compete at Nationals, July 16-22 in Orlando, Florida.
After a full weekend, Lauren Thrower, 13, was crowned Missouri Junior Teen and McKenzie Mitchell, 18, was crowned Missouri Teen. Janelle Graf of Forsythe, was crowned their “sister queen” as Missouri Miss. Along with competing for their National Title, comes a new passion for their organization’s charity, Give Kids The World (www.gktw.org). Give Kids The World Village is a 70-acre nonprofit “storybook” resort, located near Central Florida’s most beloved attractions, where children with life threatening illnesses and their families are treated to a week long, cost free fantasy vacation. The girls will be having a unique fundraiser and a pageant to raise money that they will personally deliver to GKTW to help send a child and their family to this amazing place.
Perspective Productions is different than most pageant systems in that their titleholders are encouraged to compete in other systems. Many USA and America titleholders are alumni to this pageant system including Katie Stam, Miss America 2009, Amber Seyer, of Oran, who went on to win Missouri Teen USA and Miss Missouri USA and Top Ten at Miss USA, as well as 26 Miss Teen USA System Winners, 10 Miss USA System Winners, and 3 America Systems Winners. Currently, Arkansas, Pennsylvania and Oklahoma are all sending former Princess America state titleholders to Teen USA. Lauren and McKenzie both have dreams to earn their state title and head to Teen USA in the future. McKenzie placed 2ndrunner up in November out of 55 girls at Missouri Teen USA this year and plans to re-compete this year and attempt to capture that crown.
The Missouri State Pageant is no stranger to Dexter. Lindsay Orr Woods was the very first National Titleholder from the Show-Me-State in 2001 and the State Pageant was held in Dexter for 3 years following and involved many area girls.
Lauren is the reigning Junior Miss Dexter, Junior Miss Heartland and Junior Miss Stoddard County. She is an 8th grade student at T.S. Hill Middle School and the daughter of Lori Hawkins and Bob Thrower.
McKenzie is the reigning Miss DHS, Miss Dexter 2011, and Miss Stoddard County in 2009. She is a senior at Dexter High School and the daughter of Dr. Kevin and Ann Marie Mitchell.
These young ladies have represented our school, our town, our county and now our STATE! Look for exciting things from these “sister queens” in the future. They have big dreams and plan on living them!
Produced by Perspective Productions, Princess America Pageants launched its annual multi-state event by crowning titleholders in three divisions. These include, Junior Teen (13-15 years of age), Teen (16-18 years of age) and Miss (19-28 years of age). Phases of competition, each worth 25% of the total score, included Physical Fitness, Personal Expression, Private Interview and Evening Gown.
